Ingrid Applewhite, 30, and her son, Joshua, 12, have been living in the female washroom at the recreation ground at Pinto Road, Arima. Applewhite began living in the washroom behind the stands at the savannah four months ago after she lost her job at a restaurant and could no longer pay her rent.
“The restaurant closed for health reasons and they sent us home and never called us back. We were staying by relatives but that did not work out either,” she said.
Joshua, who has been attending Arima Boys’ Government Primary School, has not been to school for almost two years. Applewhite and Joshua sleep in one of the bathing stalls in the stands at nights and during the day wander around the savannah.
“I spread half a sheet on the floor and me and Joshua cover with the other half,” she said. She says she cleans the stall daily but when there are sporting events it becomes dirty again.
“Sometimes it smells really bad of urine. I wash it with disinfectant,” she said. Two Wednesdays ago, Applewhite spent her 30th birthday in the savannah. “We sat under a mango tree in the savannah and watched people play cricket and fly kites.”
When she moved to the savannah she brought her stove and gas tank and some other belongings.
“People stole everything. All I have is a plastic bag with four pants and three jerseys for my son and two skirts and two jerseys for me,” she explained. Applewhite says she asks people for food. “I would go to people I know from Pinto and explain the situation and ask them to help out with food. Sometimes they give us meat which I don’t eat so I give it to Joshua and remain hungry.”
She said after she took up residence at the savannah, she began working at a chicken place but she and other workers were terminated when business took a nosedive. She even tried making sugar cakes and coconut drops and selling them.
“An elderly man offered me his place to make them but he started to get fresh and I left. I told him if I have to go down that road I would rather remain hungry. After that, I started to beg for food,” she added. Applewhite said she went to the Arima constituency office and met MP Anthony Garcia face-to-face but did not get any help.
“He was more interested in my child’s father and I ended up breaking down and crying. He said I was wasting his time.” Contacted, Garcia said Applewhite did visit him and, in trying to assess her situation asked about the father of the child.
“But I felt she was not being forthright with me and I told her she was wasting my time. I did make an appointment with the Ministry of Social Services for her and gave her the date. I don’t know what happened after that.”
Applewhite said she told Garcia she had no money to go to the ministry in Port-of-Spain and she never went but called and wrote and did not get a response. She said she took Joshua out of Arima Government when she moved to Chaguanas to take up the restaurant job and stay with relatives.
“I tried to get him transferred to another school but did not get through. When we came back to Pinto I went to Santa Rosa Government and asked but they said Standards Four and Five were filled up.”
Applewhite said Joshua missed the Secondary Entrance Assessment examination. She said a kind woman offered her a lot of land in Manzanilla and she needed some material to build a little house. The T&T Guardian contacted Sangre Grande social worker, Maureen St Louis, who has been in touch with Applewhite.
“She told me she will try to get Joshua in school and source some materials for me to build a house. “I am not asking for a million dollars. I just need some old galvanise and some old wood,” Applewhite said. As for those who may think she is on drugs, Applewhite said: “I am not on drugs. I have just fallen on really hard times and have no help.”